


Only Stars Know the Truth

by オビカカファッカー (Drakojana)



Series: The Prince and the Mage [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Angst and Feels, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mage Obito, Magic, Mutual Pining, Prince Kakashi, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:15:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24960691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drakojana/pseuds/%E3%82%AA%E3%83%93%E3%82%AB%E3%82%AB%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%83%83%E3%82%AB%E3%83%BC
Summary: “Then tell me what it is!”Obito looked like he wanted to retaliate with more anger but suddenly his entire face twisted with pain and he groaned, hiding his head in both hands. Kakashi immediately changed his attitude, any previous annoyance being pushed out by worry.“O-Obito…?”“It’s…” The young Uchiha tried saying something but the headache wasn’t letting up for the next few moments. He had to wait for a while before he could finish his sentence. “... nothing.”-Prequel toThe Corruption of a Prince
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Uchiha Obito
Series: The Prince and the Mage [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1792789
Comments: 29
Kudos: 123





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a small heads-up, for the plot purposes Yamato is actually older than Kakashi in this AU.
> 
> I recommend checking out the first work in the series first but you can do it after reading this one too!

“Y-your Majesty, you should come back inside…”

Kakashi only glared at the guard who dared to speak up. Sure, the Prince had been sitting on the front stairs of his castle for an hour now, and his ass felt sore already, but he wouldn’t get up until he’d see his friend.

Yamato seemed to have understood that from his lord’s single gaze as he immediately looked away and just sighed with resignation. 

Kakashi knew he wasn’t always nice to his personal guards, with Yamato usually getting the short end of the stick. On top of that, he knew he should be in a better mood, anticipating the regular visit of his Uchiha friend. But Obito seemed to be even more late than usual. Normally, the Prince was used to it, knowing that Obito’s ‘morning’ meant ‘afternoon’. But that day the Sun was nearing the horizon now and Kakashi still had no visitors from abroad. 

The Prince let out a tired breath and looked up to the sky. He’d already had a long day, with more and more royal duties piling up as he got older. He hated thinking about it, about everything his advisors wanted him to do or say. The sooner his friend would come, the faster he’d be able to push those thoughts away, even if for just a single day. 

He didn’t know how much time had passed before he felt Yamato tap him on the shoulder and Kakashi was ready to send him another deadly stare but then he noticed the guard pointing at the road ahead. 

Sure enough, there was a single horse with its rider certainly not in a hurry. The animal was striding peacefully, and the closer it got to the gates, the clearer Kakashi could see his friend. The Prince felt a wave of happiness, knowing he could get rid of silly thoughts of Obito not visiting at all now. But the feeling was soon squashed by annoyance at the other’s non-apologetic expression. 

“H-hi, Kakashi.” Once Obito hopped off his horse, he smiled sheepishly. “Sorry for being late.”

“You’re always late.” Kakashi crossed his arms. He couldn’t stay angry for too long, as his friend presented him with a gift.

“I know, I know. Here’s something to make up for it.”

Obito would always give the Prince flowers whenever he’d visit. Kakashi couldn’t stop feeling amazed at how the other managed to keep them fresh throughout the entire three-day journey to his kingdom. This time it wasn’t quite a bouquet, but a branch full of white, pink-tinted flowers. Each flower had exactly four slightly curled petals and it gave off a delicate fragrance. Kakashi hummed as thanks as he accepted the branch. 

“It’s dogwood,” Obito added. 

“Oh, is it because I love my dogs?” The Prince raised an eyebrow, glancing at his friend. He did feel a bit intrigued by the flowers.

“No? Y-yes. I don’t know!” Obito got flustered and a slight blush appeared on his cheeks. Kakashi chuckled at his reaction, though only then he managed to notice the changes on his face.

Obito looked… tired. The bags under his eyes indicated a lack of proper rest, and he lacked his usual energetic smile. Now that Kakashi paid more attention to him, his friend sounded different, too. Less enthusiasm and volume in his voice didn’t seem good either. 

They just stared at each other in silence for a few moments, until Kakashi noticed how teary Obito’s left eye got. He didn’t even have to lean in for a closer look, the line of tears barely hiding behind the bottom eyelid was clear.

“Are you oka-”

“Sorry, there’s something in my eye.” Obito must’ve noticed the target of the Prince’s gaze as he quickly hid one hand in his sleeve and pressed the fabric to the eye. “A-anyways, you can plant that branch in your garden, you know? Dogwood trees grow really fast when you take care of them.”

Kakashi wasn’t stupid, he noticed it was just the other’s attempt at changing the topic. But he decided to let it slide for now.

“Since it’s getting late… Want to go for a walk? You kept a crowned Prince waiting for too long.”

“Hey, my butt is sore from horse riding too, you know.” Obito groaned but agreed. 

Kakashi handed off the flower branch to Yamato, ordering him to take care of the horse as well. Before the guard could protest and use his usual argument of having to watch over the Prince, Kakashi just pointed at the sword by his own side.

“Just who exactly is the greatest swordmaster in this country?” 

Obito barely stifled his laughter when he watched Yamato’s expression turn from worry to resignment. 

“You shouldn’t bully your personal guards so much, Kakashi.” 

“I don’t bully them, they just forget that I’m the one in charge here.” The Prince took Obito’s hand in his without hesitation and started dragging him away towards the capital.

Kakashi covered half of his face with a mask made out of dark fabric as more and more people were around them. 

“Why do you have to do that?” Obito just had to ask, his curiosity getting the better of him. “Do they even know you’re a royal?”

“Hush, don’t say that,” the Prince hissed. “Most people in the city know my face. If you don’t want us to suddenly get swarmed by a crowd of onlookers, then you better keep quiet.”

Kakashi led his friend through the market filled with commoners. They bumped into a few people and Obito was the only one muttering apologies as some of them would glare at the two teenagers. 

“Where are we even going?” The Uchiha asked after getting another nasty look from a civilian. “I know I said I don’t mind a walk but I feel like someone’s about to kill me here.”

“They won’t,” Kakashi still wasn’t too expressive with his thoughts. “They know I carry a sword.”

“That wasn’t my question-!”

Once they finally escaped the crowd and continued down a little frequented alley, Kakashi could loosen up a bit. Leading Obito by the hand was still risky, him being the country leader doing little to change that. He felt slightly relieved that the other couldn’t see his reddened cheeks due to the face mask. 

It was obvious they were both men. And he didn’t want any trouble connected with that fact, but he didn’t want to let go of his friend’s hand. There were things Kakashi wanted to tell Obito so badly. But now that they were alone, and he looked at him again, his eyes focused on that tired look on Obito’s face.

“Sorry. It’s just a bit further down this path.” Kakashi broke the eye contact and let the other’s hand slip out of his as he loosened the grip.

“Walks are meant to be relaxing, aren’t they?” Obito let out a breath in amusement. “But I guess princes don’t care about that, living their entire life in a hurry!”

“You have it easy, you don’t have any damn royal duties.”

Kakashi had to double-check if his friend was still walking by his side when he didn’t hear any answer. He saw a pained look on Obito’s face for a moment but when the other noticed the Prince staring, he tried laughing it off.

Kakashi felt more and more worried with each passing minute. Something was clearly bothering Obito, he kept wiping the tears gathering in his left eye. But the Prince decided to hold back his questions until they arrived at their destination.

They just had to pass by a few houses and go through a yard with a neglected orchard to reach a small meadow hidden on the outskirts of the city. They couldn’t hear the evening bustle of the capital anymore, just the wind rustling the leaves of various apple and pear trees.

Although the sky was still tainted red, the hue was getting darker with each moment as the Sun had disappeared from the sight already. 

“I thought we could… look at the stars here,” Kakashi said, sitting down on the grass.

“That’d be nice,” Obito replied, at first looking at the nature around them before sitting next to the Prince.

“And now we can talk without anyone eavesdropping.” 

“Do you really think Yamato won’t find us here? He was surprisingly good at searching when we played hide-and-seek at the castle.”

“Then we better discuss all the embarrassing stuff first.” Kakashi pulled down his mask to reveal a playful grin. It got the exact reaction out of Obito he’d expected. 

“W-what embarrassing stuff? ”The young Uchiha got flustered and glanced away. 

Kakashi snorted with laughter and they went silent for a while after that. First stars were now glimmering in the sky, their faint shine trying to break through the remains of daylight. But even in the falling darkness, the Prince couldn’t stop looking at Obito’s left eye. He could’ve sworn it looked a bit different that day, too.

“What happened to it?” He finally asked, one finger pointing at his friend’s face.

Obito looked at him with confusion, maybe even pretending he didn’t know what the other meant. “Nothing?”

“Then… You’re just a crybaby?” 

“W-what?! No! I told you, it’s just something in my eye!” Obito covered the eye. “I thought crowned princes didn’t have time for worrying about things like that?”

“I-I’m not worried about you at all!” Maybe it was a lie but Kakashi felt frustration building up at the lack of a proper answer. “It’s just annoying how you keep rubbing it!”

“You could worry about a friend at least a little, you jerk!” 

“Then tell me what it is!”

Obito looked like he wanted to retaliate with more anger but suddenly his entire face twisted with pain and he groaned, hiding his head in both hands. Kakashi immediately changed his attitude, any previous annoyance being pushed out by worry.

“O-Obito…?”

“It’s…” The young Uchiha tried saying something but the headache wasn’t letting up for the next few moments. He had to wait for a while before he could finish his sentence. “... nothing.”

“That didn’t look like nothing.”

“I… can we not talk about it?” That question surprised Kakashi. But Obito’s voice betrayed how upset he felt. Whatever the cause was, he didn’t want to share.

When silence fell between them again, they both looked up to the sky, thinking about the reason the Prince had brought them to the meadow in the first place. Kakashi sat with his legs close, hugging his knees to his chest. In contrast, Obito’s legs were stretched and he was leaning back on his hands placed behind his back. 

“It’s a nice view from here,” Kakashi finally broke the silence after trying to find at least one constellation on the new night sky. His friend made a sound of confirmation, focused on the stars as well.

“I can’t remember the last time I could look at the stars like this,” Obito said almost absent-mindedly. 

Kakashi was almost about to tease him by pointing out he had more free time than the Prince, but the honesty in his voice made him stop. He raised an eyebrow, now giving it a bit more thought. 

“Are you that busy in the evening, or do you just sleep as soon as the night falls?”

“I… uh…” Obito’s gaze went from the sky to the nearby trees and finally to the ground. “I have to… visit someone.”

“Sounds like you don’t like it.”

“They’re a relative,” Obito added, though in a whisper. 

“So it’s like taking care of a family member?” Kakashi asked, tilting his head to the side. 

“I guess so.”

The Prince frowned. He wanted to get more out of his friend but Obito really wasn’t in a mood for a conversation. Kakashi wanted to come up with something to distract him.

“Speaking of your family…” He had one idea, it had been on his mind for a long time now. “You Uchihas are known for your magic skills.”

“Yeah?” 

“We’ve been friends for so long and you never even showed me a single spell you could do.” 

Obito was still avoiding meeting Kakashi’s eyes, now clearly trying to come up with an excuse. “T-they’re hard to learn, you know…”

“I’m starting to think you’re not a real Uchiha.” The Prince decided to tease his friend, knowing the other wouldn’t be able to take it quietly. “Maybe you don’t even have any magic in you?”

“O-of course I do!” Obito wasn’t whispering anymore, his voice back to the usual tone. “It’s just that fire magic is no joke, stupid Kakashi!” 

“With all that talk and no show, I almost forgot you guys are known for fire magic in particular. But it seems I won’t see it anyway.” Kakashi sighed and shrugged theatrically. He was enjoying annoying his friend, mostly because he finally acted like his usual self.

Obito groaned in frustration and got up. “Fine! You want to see magic, I’ll show you!” He drew a circle with one finger in the air and snapped his fingers. Instantly, a small ember lit up at the palm of his hand, floating just barely above his skin.

“Amazing. I think I can do the same with a tinder-box,” Kakashi snickered. He didn’t really mean to be rude but now that his friend’s face was slightly illuminated by the fire, he could see the slight blush caused by anger.

Obito closed his hand into a fist, seemingly putting out the flame. He took a swing as if to prepare for a throw and when he raised his hand into the air, a trail of fire and smoke shoot up into the sky. It made a sound like a bird flying right past one’s ear before stopping midair above their heads. Kakashi observed as the ember suddenly burst into countless pieces, each flying in another direction. It looked like a flower or a star, and when the sparks fell down all around them, the entire meadow was lit up in an orange glow.

“H-how do you like that?” Obito looked expectantly at his friend, determination glimmering in his eyes. 

Kakashi almost wanted to laugh how obvious it was he wanted to be praised. He clapped his hands a few times. “Not bad. Are you sure the grass won’t catch on fire, though?”

The sparks that landed on the ground were still glowing but neither of them spotted a single blade of grass burning. Still, Kakashi’s question made Obito look around in panic for a second before he had to clutch his head again and groaned in pain. 

“Was that-”

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Obito sat back down next to him once he regained some of the composure. The frown was back on his face, though.

“Do you know any other spells?” The Prince felt genuine curiosity on the other’s magic. Only a few of the numerous kingdoms could boast about their royals being mages. Those gifted with magical powers hardly ever left their homeland, as well. “You don’t have to show them, let’s not burn anything down.”

“There are others but…” Obito sighed, running one hand over the soft grass. “Yeah, they’re too dangerous. And I don’t like using them, to be honest.”

“Is it because of those headaches?”

“No?” The young Uchiha looked at the Prince with a hint of confusion in his expression. “Oh, i-it’s not the cause! I’m just… tired. I told you, stop worrying about it already!”

“You make it really hard not to,” Kakashi mumbled in response. “So it’s all just to burn everything to ash? Doesn’t sound like very convenient magic.”

“There are some others I could show you but-” Obito started but then suddenly closed his mouth and looked at his hands. “Actually, no. N-nevermind…”

The Prince didn’t push the topic further, understanding that his friend was feeling unwell. If he didn’t want to show off any more spells, Kakashi wouldn’t force him. In fact, all he wanted to do was to make Obito feel better.

He looked up to the sky, his eyes focusing on the Northern Star. Kakashi remembered how his father had used to teach him a bit about the constellations, and how that one particular star would often be a guide to nightly travellers. The Prince wished someone would give him some guidance now. He had one thing on his mind that he felt Obito had to know about. 

“I’m going to get married,” he said quietly at first. “The advisors keep telling me I have to.”

“O-oh.” The dejection in his friend’s voice was clear. “Why...?”

Obito knew Kakashi’s thoughts on the entire situation already. The Prince had always been against marriage, at least the traditional one. Although on one hand, he’d always considered the possibility, saying he’d accept the title of the King only after getting married.

“I can’t keep running away from it. My people need a strong leader. They need a King, not a kid who wants to stay a Prince forever.”

“Who are you going to marry…?”

“Rin Nohara. They say our kingdoms will both benefit from this marriage, with mine having a strong army and hers specialising in magical artifacts.” Kakashi knew he sounded exactly like the people advising him, he was mimicking their words. “And she likes me, too.”

Obito was staring at the Prince’s face, eyebrows drawn together betraying his true feelings that he tried to hide behind a sympathetic smile. 

“You don’t want that, do you?”

“No,” Kakashi replied instantly. He wanted to follow up with the words he should have told Obito long ago, but when he looked at his friend’s tired face, at the left eye that leaked tears again, at the grimace caused by another headache, he just couldn’t say what weighed on his heart. He had to bite back those words for a bit longer. “It’s just for politics.”

“That’s… sad… You deserve to be happy.”

“She says she’ll try to make me happy. Even if I don’t love her, I suppose.”

“Does she… know?”

Kakashi just shook his head. He knew telling her would mean giving her a reason why, as well. And someone at his position couldn’t just admit to having feelings for another man. No one would accept it. Sometimes the Prince feared if even Obito would accept his love.

“I’ll tell her eventually.”

“Before or after you two…?”

“I already decided I won’t marry her before I become an adult. I guess that means I’ve got around four years, then.”

Once more they spent the next minutes in silence, the goal of stargazing long forgotten. They couldn’t meet each other’s eyes anymore, both thinking about the conversation.

“I wish…” Kakashi spoke quietly, barely above a whisper. “I wish you could be my advisor.”

“I-I’d be horrible at that kind of stuff,” Obito replied with a joke but his smile didn’t look genuine. “I don’t know a single thing about running a country-”

“I know you wouldn’t push me to do things I don’t want.”

As the Prince said, he found his friend’s hand among the grass. Obito’s fingers twitched at the sudden touch but he didn’t move his hand out of the way. As if testing how far he can go himself, Obito slid his hand towards Kakashi so now they were together. One squeeze from either one of them and they’d be holding hands.

It was Kakashi who finished it, feeling relief and happiness squeeze his heart that Obito didn’t back away. They could finally go back to looking at the stars, now both focused on the sight above them. 

They didn’t bother to count the passage of time, with Obito trying his best to make up new constellations and Kakashi correcting him every time. Just for one night, the Prince could forget about his position, his duties and the inevitable future. When he was with Obito… He could just have fun. 

Kakashi didn’t even notice when he got sleepy. But Obito was the first one to fight the urge to just let his head drop and close his eyes. The Prince knew they were too tired at that point to go back to the castle all by themselves. Yamato hadn’t seemed to have found them yet but Kakashi trusted the royal guard’s intuition. It wouldn’t be the first time the Prince had dozed off in a place he shouldn’t have.

With a smile he watched Obito rest his head on his shoulder. Kakashi gently put his head against his friend’s and looked at the stars for a while longer, until his eyelids became too heavy.

It’d be so easy to say it now. Three words he wanted Obito to hear. But Obito had his own worries for now. 

_Next time, I promise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally some backstory time! I know you guys might have some questions about the characters, and I know I won't be able to put every piece of lore I and my friend have built in the fics. So feel free to leave those burning questions in the comments, I might answer some, or I might just tell you to wait and see ;)
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I am not sorry for this heartwrenching chapter.

Kakashi hated the meetings. Or, more accurately, he hated the people he had to listen and discuss with during the meetings. 

It wasn’t that he found his advisors stupid or distrusted them. Quite the opposite. After Kakashi had found out about the plan of the previous council, that they were the ones behind his father’s death, he made sure to either execute them or throw them into the dungeon. Upon taking the throne, the Prince picked all the new members of the council himself, making sure they wouldn’t betray him.

But it wasn’t just their loyalty that landed them all the position of his advisors. Kakashi was a knowledgeable person but one man couldn’t make all the decisions about every single aspect of leading a country all by himself. He needed smart people by his side who would help him with the choices. 

Which lead him to now sitting at the most important spot by the table in the council chamber, listening to people at least twice his age discussing the demands and complaints a few farmers had brought up to him. Kakashi didn’t hate his advisors for doing their job. He just grew to hate them over the past few years of being the leader of the kingdom exactly because of their monotonous voice and giving him good advice for three hours straight. 

The Prince would much rather prefer practising his already perfect sword skills or playing with his beloved dogs. He knew he had a country to run, but he couldn’t do it all the time - no one could demand that from a teenager who had lost both his parents much too early. 

As two members of the council were exchanging arguments back and forth - in a surprisingly civil manner, another complaint Kakashi had about the meetings being boring - the Prince found himself thinking about his friend. 

It had been over half a year since Obito’s last visit in the country. Kakashi couldn’t deny it any longer, he grew more and more worried with each day he couldn’t even reach the Uchiha anymore. He’d sent a few letters already but to no avail. It was almost as if… Obito had just vanished. 

“... Your Majesty? What do you think?”

Kakashi had to snap back to reality as he realised all the eyes in the room were directed at him. Normally he’d be able to focus in the meetings enough to both daydream a bit and still get a good grasp on what was being discussed. But thinking about Obito proved to be too occupying for his mind that day. He tried coming up with an answer vague and diplomatic enough that would fool the advisors into thinking he’d understood everything.

Fate seemed to have its own plans, aiding the Prince in his lie. Because as he took a shallow breath to say something, they all heard a commotion outside. Everyone’s attention turned to the door that was suddenly opened and someone ran into the room, breathing heavily. It was a relatively young man - although still older than Kakashi. He was out of breath, with messy hair and a face red from being in a hurry.

“What is the meaning of this? This is the royal council meeting, get out right now-”

“I-I have urgent news for the Prince!” 

Kakashi recognised the man’s face as one of the messengers who would bring news from neighbouring kingdoms. He waved his hand as a sign for the intruder to speak. 

“T-the entire Uchiha family has been murdered.”

The silence that fell in the room felt heavier than the words that had just been spoken. Kakashi glared at the messenger like he was the one who’d just killed somebody instead. 

“What?” He managed to say just a single word but that was enough for some people in the room to give him worried looks. The Prince bit down on his tongue, hoping it would be a misunderstanding or a joke or a dream.

“Just two days ago, someone raided the castle and slaughtered every single member of the Uchiha family... “

“What kind of nonsense is that?!” One of the advisors couldn’t keep listening to that. “Just who would even-”

“M-Madara U-Uchiha.”

Now no one bothered to stay silent anymore. All the council members wanted to comment on that, some feeling outraged, others not believing the messenger’s words. 

“Madara? He should have died of old age by now!”

“You can’t just kill the Uchiha family, they’re all skilled mages!”

“It’s impossible, no matter how you look at it-”

Kakashi lowered his head, staring at the tabletop in front of his eyes. He’d spent the entire meeting sitting with his arms crossed, but now he rested both of his elbows on the table and wanted to hide his face in his hands. He just put his hands together and rested his forehead against them.

“Everyone?” He didn’t have to finish the question for the messenger to understand just what exactly he wanted to know. As Kakashi asked that, he felt the gaze of the two royal guards standing behind him on his back. Both Gai and Yamato knew better than anyone else in the room what he was hinting at.

The messenger closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths. “H-he even showed all the bodies, l-laughing at everyone’s reaction at the castle…”

Murmurs didn’t quiet down in the room. All the advisors looked at each other, at the messenger and at Kakashi. No one knew how to take this kind of news.

“He said he’d made sure he’d be the last living Uchiha… A-and that now he’d take revenge on everyone who had dared to go against him in the past.”

The Prince didn’t listen to the conversation anymore. He didn’t want to believe a word the messenger had said. He didn’t even care about the rumour that it was  _ the  _ Madara Uchiha. All he wanted to believe - no, not believe - was that Madara would kill all Uchihas. 

Someone had to survive. Not all of them lived in the castle, not all of them were considered royals… Kakashi knew he was thinking about one person at the moment. 

Obito couldn’t be dead. 

He just couldn’t. Kakashi wouldn’t accept that. Not when he’d been waiting for so long to finally confess his feelings. Not when Obito’s visits were the last thing to bring him so much joy in life. 

The Prince spiralled down that line of despairing thoughts, muting anything else out. He forgot about the meeting, only remembering he had to control himself, to not make a single sound, to not even let his hands shake. So when the room went silent and everyone stared at Kakashi, expecting him to dismiss the messenger or make a comment on the situation, he didn’t reply.

Someone put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. Kakashi suspected it had to be Gai, as he’d always been supportive of him and more inclined to listen to him. But the Prince didn’t want to look vulnerable in front of anyone, not even his closest guards. 

Kakashi was silent for a few more minutes. No one could hurry him. He was the damn ruler, the future King. He had all the time he needed to compose himself enough to not let his voice waver. But he couldn’t even raise his head, tears threatening to fall from his eyes at any moment. He held his hands together so tightly the knuckles started going white.

“Everyone but the messenger leave.” Even with all the effort, his voice sounded weak. But he didn’t care. All he wanted at the moment was to be left alone.

“But Your Majesty, the meeti-”

“You’ve heard the Prince, it’s over.” Yamato didn’t even let anyone finish their complaints. 

Kakashi listened as one by one the members of the council left, until just four people were left in the chamber. He’d heard some of the elders whisper about him taking it too personally - though most of them were perfectly aware of his friendship with one Uchiha.

He still had to keep up some sort of dignity, however, as he let out a deep sigh, he untangled his fingers and pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes, feeling frustrated at the constantly welling up tears.

“Was he talking about the royal family?”

“No, Your Majesty, he… M-Madara clearly stated he slaughtered the entire bloodline, claiming now he’s t-the last one to use their magic…”

“How do you know all of that?”

“I… was there.” As the messenger spoke, his voice shook a little. “Madara said he spared us j-just so we’d go and tell everyone to w-wait for him…”

With every answer to his questions, Kakashi felt more and more helpless. They were slowly stripping him down of any hope. He finally just stopped talking altogether, simply shaking his head and waving one hand to dismiss the messenger.

Normally he’d tell him to rest well, praise a job well done, but he couldn’t do it now. He couldn’t act like himself, couldn’t even act like the damn Prince he was. He felt almost the exact same way he’d felt the day he’d lost his father. Like a hopeless child who’d lost the only person whom he loved.

“Your Majesty…” It was Gai who spoke up when all the strangers were out of the room. “Kakashi-”

“You two leave, too.”

“Listen, I know it must be hard for you…”

“Let it go, Gai.” Yamato interrupted him. “He needs some time alone.”

Kakashi wished he could appreciate Gai worrying about him and wanting to console him. He was a good friend to him, after all. They were sparring partners ever since they had been both kids, and after Kakashi took the throne, Gai made his best efforts to be accepted into the royal guard as soon as possible. 

But that meant he also knew about Kakashi’s true feelings for Obito. And he recognised he couldn’t do much at the moment, silently going along with Yamato. 

“We’ll be outside if you need anything, Kakashi.” Being his closest guards also meant the Prince didn’t mind them calling him by his name. They were the only people in the entire kingdom allowed to do so. 

The door was shut closed for the third time in the last few minutes, and only now Kakashi could take the hands off his eyes. His fingers were already wet from the tears leaking out and the teardrops now were falling onto the table. He took a long, shaky breath, hoping he could exhale just as calmly only for it to come out as an ugly sob. 

His hands fell helplessly onto the tabletop, making a dull sound. He felt equally helpless and lonely. The cruel world had once more robbed him of someone important, without a warning. Fate had to enjoy ripping his heart out.

Kakashi hated how it all now made sense. Obito couldn’t reply to any of his letters anymore. Maybe Madara had got him even earlier, leaving the royals for the last. Now that the Prince tried remembering his last visit, he wished he’d done something more. He could’ve made him stay in his kingdom longer, not let him leave… But how could he have known that once they parted ways, it would be their last meeting?

He raised his head, seeing the abandoned room. Kakashi looked at the empty seats and remembered his own words, his own unfinished request. Obito would never be his advisor now. Kakashi would never hear a single piece of advice, or a joke, from him, ever again.

The Prince got up quickly, shutting his eyes close and letting more tears fall. He couldn’t stay there anymore. Kakashi rushed to the door and as he left, he didn’t even spare his guards a glance, only stopping them with one hand gesture that let them know not to say anything or to follow him.

He slowly walked towards his chambers, supporting himself with one hand sliding against the stone walls. He felt exhausted, the feelings weighing on his heart. Occasionally he felt tears run down his face, and sometimes he’d sniffle trying to breathe in through the nose. He didn’t trust himself with breathing through the mouth anymore, knowing he’d just end up sobbing. 

Kakashi could only act the way he truly felt once he entered his bedroom and collapsed on his bed. He immediately curled up, pressing his face against the covers. He wailed, not caring anymore who would hear him. 

He’d lost his best friend. His love. 

Just an hour ago he had still had hope that Obito was just busy. But of course, it couldn’t be that easy. Kakashi was stupid to believe everything was okay. His life was never going to be alright and now he understood it. 

He hugged the pillow buried his face in it, crying and crying because it was all he could do to soothe his aching heart. When his father had died, he had to take on new responsibilities. But now he was the most important person in the kingdom. No one else would care how he’d feel. But at the same time, no one had the right to take his grief away anymore. 

Kakashi kept going through their last moments together over and over again, only fueling the overwhelming sadness. He’d forever regret never saying anything else to Obito. He’d be forced to live with that guilt forever now. 

He cried for hours, completely losing the track of time. With the curtains closed, he didn’t even know what time of the day it was by the time he heard the door creak slightly. Kakashi didn’t move from his bed, laying still and still sniffling. His eyes hurt from all the tears he’d shed. 

But no one said anything, and the Prince didn’t hear any footsteps. At least, not human ones. The familiar tapping of clawed paws against the tiled floor caught his attention. Soon he saw two of his dogs stand by the bed, looking at him with half-expectant, half-concerned eyes. More dogs jumped on the bed and the corners of Kakashi’s mouth moved slightly upwards for a moment. He gave Pakkun - his first dog - a pat on the head but soon his hand fell to the bed anyway.

“Sorry… I’m not in the mood to play with you guys…”

The dogs understood perfectly, just laying down right next to him and cuddling up to him. The Prince wondered who exactly had let them in, wanting to thank them later. For now, he just closed his eyes and wanted to sleep the exhaustion away, hoping for a better tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I love writing this series, there are so many WIPs and ideas that keep calling me... Do you guys want me to write the second chapter of Detective Hatake's Sex Tape or third chapter of Corruption of the Prince? Asking cause they're both, well, smut haha
> 
> (edit: Okay okay the next fic in this series will be cute and not angsty I promise)
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated!


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